Shattering and incendiary shell



Feb. 16, 1954 w. WEISS 2,669,182

SHATTERING AND INCENDIARY SHELL Filed May 26, 1949 Patented Feb. 16, 1954 UNlT-ED ism-res eaten-T -QFFICE ",SHATTERIINGAND INCENDIARY SHELL .Willi Weiss,"Vern r-Geneva, Switzerland a signor to" Brevets Aero-Mecaniqnesfl 'S. A., Geneva, Switzerland, 2. society"oi -Switzerland Application-May 26,-1949, Serial N0. 95A39 "Claims priority, application Luxembourg March 29,1949

1 Claim.

---o practice than the known shells and par-z, -..ticular-.such that its destructive power-,ishigher 1 ;than.that..of the usual shells.

The main feature of my invention consists in incorporating in'the shell in question, on the onegxhand a charge of-a ebrisant explosive-die ffJDGSBd. in the form of, at least one core extending 'fa'l0Ilg- 'atf1Qa/Stfi portion ofithe 1ength:;of the .-",;interna11.cavity .of, thersh l an i he o r i doand, .an incendiary-charge disposed; in the space located between said core and the shell wall.

The only figure of this drawing represents, in axial section, a shattering and incendiary small caliber shell made according to the invention.

The following description applies, by way of example, to the construction of a small caliber shell (for instance of a caliber ranging from 15 to 50 mm.), intended to produce shattering and incendiary eifects upon impact.

Such shells have already been provided with, on the one hand, a charge of a brisant explosive-this expression designating in this case an explosive the velocity of explosion is higher than 1000 m. per sec. and, still preferably, 3000 in. per secondand, on the other hand, an incendiary charge this expression designating an incendiary charge of the known type which upon detonation forms a large volume of gases which when instantaneously produced gives a blasting effect as well as an incendiary action, these two charges being disposed one ahead of the other.

According to the present invention, the brisant explosive charge is arranged in the form of a core having advantageously the form of a longitudinal rod extending preferably over the greatest possible length of the shell and the incendiary charge is housed in the space existing between said rod and the shell wall, so that this incendiary charge surrounds the brisant explosive charge.

According to the example illustrated by the drawing, the shell includes a hollow body I closed at the front by a fuse 2 with a detonator 3.

On the inside of this body, I dispose first the incendiary charge 4 in the form of a cylinder provided with an axial recess 5 in which is subsequently placed the charge of brisant explosive i (for instance trinitrotoluol or trotyl). Incendiary charge 4 adjoins over all its inner surface the brisant explosive It is to becunderstpod 1 that -thera surfaces? f "incendiary :chargev 4- and ':-brisant explosive 6 are not restrictedto material- 1y; :direct contact. I Any relationship;-betweenthe 1' surfaces wherebnthe. 1 thermal andmechanical effectspf explosion; of. -the-brisa;nt explosive. 6

;-. areinstantaneously;transmitted i-ntegrallyto the incendiary 10113113624 will su-fiice. ,Such a relationship willrbe hereinafter-referred to ,as thermic and mechaniualaoon-tact.

The axial recess 5 may be obtained jbylpuncha ing or. drilling.

Preferably, :cavity 5 isr ilarger' near :the 113013380 IE'thatQthE TtOD iofvtheexexplosive: charge can be hollowed out at l to surround the detonator.

Advantageously, the axial cavity is given dimensions such that the weight of incendiary matter is about twice the weight of the explosive charge.

I thus obtain a shell the action of which is as follows: upon impact, the explosive 6 explodes violently and exerts upon the target a violent shaking eifect which is immediately followed by the incendiary efiect resulting from deflagration of the incendiary charge which is shattered and ignited in an instantaneous and complete manner by the explosive due to the particular location of the explosive charge inside the incendiary charge.

I may use, as incendiary charge, any suitable product. However, it seems advantageous to have recourse to an incendiary composition the deflagration of which is accompanied with a blast effect, that is to say to a composition giving oif a considerable volume of gases upon defiagration. The incendiary charge 4 is of a dry solid composition.

A composition giving good results in this respect may be constituted by a metal in the powder form (such as aluminum, magnesium, iron, etc.) mixed with an oxygen carrier (such as barium or strontium nitrate), the proportions being advantageously, for instance, as follows:

38 per cent of magnesium, 7 per cent of aluminum, 55 per cent of barium nitrate,

to which mixture there is advantageously added a suitable amount of a binder, such as resin in solution (colophony).

It will be understood that with such a blasting incendiary composition, after the shaking effect exerted by the explosion of the brisant explosive on the objective, the blast will dismantle this already shaken objective, while the incendiary action will take place simultaneously with great violence due to the shatterin and good ignition of the incendiary matter.

I thus obtain a shell the destructive power of which will be much higher than that of already existing shells because none of these shells combined the effects of a shattering explosion and of an incendiary defiagration, with possibly a blast effect.

It should be noted that the blast effect may be further intensified by the incorporation of a metal powder (for instance 15% of aluminum or magnesium) in the brisant explosive.

I can thus obtain, while making use of a shell body the wall of which is suficiently thick to give the projectile good ballastic properties and a good safety against shocks, a blast effect as violent, and even more violent, than that obtained with shells having a thin wall and a very high charge of explosive.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be practical and efficient embodiments of my invention, 'it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claim.

What I claim is:

A shattering and incendiary shell which comprises, in combination, a hollow shell body, a charge of an explosive disposed in said body in the form of at least one core extending over at least a major portion of the length of the cavity of said body, said explosive being brisant such as trinitroltoluol, and having an incendiary charge disposed around said explosive core in the space existing between said core and the inner side wall of said body, said incendiary charge being constituted of a metal of the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium and iron in powder form, mixed with an oxygen carrier and a binder, said incendiary charge upon detonation forming a large volume of gases which when instantaneously produced gives a blasting effect as well as an incendiary action, said incendiary charge adjoining over its inner surface the brisant explosive and in thermic and mechanical contact therewith, whereby the incendiary charge is instantaneously inflamed by the brisant explosive.

WILLI WEISS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 36,934 Berney Nov. 11, 1862 1,311,521 Johnson July 29, 1919 1,417,475 Weeke May 23, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 502,634 France Feb. 26, 1920 250,271 Great Britain Apr. 6, 1926 259,539 Great Britain July 13, 1926 408,260 Great Britain Mar. 26, 1934 

